Shoe-bottom-filling machine.



A. THOMA.

SHOE BOTTOM FILLING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED 001124, 1910.

1,052,428, Patented Feb. 4, 1913.

I71JCTU$O7I 0502 610 7/0077'004 an snares PATENT @FFKQE ANDREW THOMA, F CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO NORTH CHEMICAL COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

SHOE-BOTTOM-FILLING MACHINE.

To all whom it may concern; 1 i

Be it known that 1, mm THOMA, a

"citizen of the United States, residing at machine has proved to be a problem full of difliculties, and accordingly my present machine aims to provide practical means especially adapted to the use of the sticky, sluggish, quick-setting filler which is commonly in use at the present time in shoe factories and which is usually supplied in the form of semi-solid loaves requiring to be melted by w heat in order to be rendered sufficiently fiowingand plastic for use. -Shoe bottoms vary to such an'extent that I have found it impracticable to have the quantity of filler for a given bottom-cavity determined autoit matieally by the machine, and accordingly one of the principal features of my invention is to provide, in connection with. a fillerpropelling or feeding deviw, means under the control of the operator for enabling him we, deliver such predetermined amount of filler into the bottom-cavity as his judgment may determine, said means delivering the filler in plain sight of the operator so that be may not only see the amount of filler, in

Q5 its entirety, which is. being delivered, but

also see the shoe cavity into which it is being delivered. Preferably the arrangement includes means for maintaining a suliicient distance or gap between the filler delivering as means and the'shoe bottom to require the filler to drop some distance into the bottomcavity and to enable the operator toswing or turn the shoe according to the requirement of the operator.

.& A further feature of importance resides in providing filler-distributing and filler-laying'means laterally at one side of the filler delivering means and so constructed that the shoe bottom is maintained in the view of w the operator while he isleveling the filler.

The particular leveling, tool is also an important feature of my invention, whereby the operator is enabled to make practically any kind of a bottom desired, either flat,

es rounded, shallow, or so forth.

Specification of Letters Patent.

The practical filling of shoe bottoms by a Patented Feb. 4, 1913 Application fled October 24 1910. Serial No. 588,765.

l I regard it as a highly advantageous arrangement to have the operating parts arranged in line with each other transversely of the machine so that the operator first deposits the'filler in the bottom-cavity without appreciable forward movement of the shoeandthenshifts the shoe with its supply of'fille'r quickly'to the left, where the filler is distributed and laid, and then (if by accident any filler has gotten' uponthe welt), back slightly to an intermediate position where the surplus filler is. brushed 01f. By

average operator can accomplish much. more i work in av given length of time than if the movement is forward and back. 'I have also thisarrangement i have found that the-.

f found by personal experience that this side wise movement is less fatiguing than.-

forward and backward movement heretofore 1 In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 I common. l

is a central vertical'sectional view of my machine; Fig 2 is a fragmentary view thereof in side elevation looking at the left-, hand side of the machine, parts being broken away for clearness of illustration; Fig. 3 shows the machine in front elevation; Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, with parts broken away to show the internal arrangement; and Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the leveling device.

The pot. or filler receptacle 1 is preferably open at the to so as to enable the operator to see the co ition of the filler therein at all times, and is provided at its rear side with an inclined bottom2 for directing the filler by gravity to the outlet 3 Heating means, herein shown as a steam or hot water cavity 4, y is provided, preferably ad'acent this bottom 2, so as to maintain the 5 ler in bottom. Mounted just above the do ve end of the bottom in'the narrow space jacent the outlet 3 is a superheating pipe 5, preferably of. relatively large capacity, for still further maintaining the filler in-a uniform, free-flowin condition at the point of delivery, At this point I mount on said superheating pipe as an axle, a paddle wheel or propeller 6 provided with a slow rotating its greatest condition of fluidity alon said motion so that the slowly revolving paddles I tend to maintaiuthe filler in a constant forv wardly moving condition so that the moment the valve or door 7 is opened the filler will be d-i harged without any liability of causing delay. The valve or door 7 may be of any suitable kind, being herein shown as pivoted at 8 to a bracket 9 of the receptacle 1 and normally held downward by a spring 10, the free end of said valve or door-like closure 7 having a projecting finger or lug 11 adapted to engage behind an upwardly and forwardly projecting guide arm 12 so as to be brought into proper closing relation with the opening 3 when in lowered position. As one of the main objects of this invention is to maintain the filler delivery, as to time, amount and position, under the control of the operator, I have not only provided the outlet 3 and its closure 7 at the extreme front in the direct view of the operator, but have provided the tripping deviceor opening lever under the control of the operator and in position to be actuated by the work itself and preferably by an upward movement thereof. To this end I preferably provide a relatively slender depending tripping stud or lug 13 extending downwardly from'the closure 7 in position to engage the bottom-cavity 14: of the shoe 15 which is being filled. This arrangement has many advantages. It enables the operator to open the outlet either quickly or slowly, according to the expertness of any given operator. It enables him to open it wide or only partially, the former being preferable if the filler is extra sluggish or the heating thereof has just begun, and the latter being preferable if the filler is highly fluid or the operator not sufliciently expert to judge instantly when his shoe cavity has received enough filler. It also enables the operator not only to keep his shoe cavity in view while the filler is being deposited thereon, but it enables him to shift his shoe forward or backward so as to cause the filler to drop thereinto at such point in the length of the shoe as his particular habit or special skill may prefer. For instance, I have found that some operators can fill shoe bottoms much faster by leveling from the toe rearwardly, while others pre er to start at the ball and level by a quick movement forward and another quick movement rearward from the ball, while still others prefer to level from the heel end forwardly; and this feature of my invention enables any given operator to drop the deposit of filler into the shoe bottom at that point which may suit his own peculiarities best. A further advantage of' this feature of my invention is that it permits the operator to turn the shoe on the arm 13 as a ivot and to tip the shoe at'any angle desire For instance, after 'an operator has gained considerable skill in filling shoes he can present the shoe sidewise instead of lengthwise to the outlet 3, thereby gaining considerable extra speed. The latter is also a principal object in view in locating the leveling device in line with the practically any supply orifice and preferably at the lefthand side thereof, as best shown in Figs. 3 and 4. As herein shown this automatic leveler is in the form of a cast iron block 16, preferably massive in order to receive and store considerable heat, said block being pivotally mounted directly upon an extension 17 of the large steam pipe 5 and provided with any convenient means for giving it a rapid, short oscillation or vibration, the speed of vibration and the heat combining to level the filler evenly and almost instantly without any liability of sticking to the filler or dislodging the same from the bottomcavity. As herein shown an arm 18 extends rearwardly and inwardly from the block 16 to travelin a tortuous cam path 19 of a cam gear 20. This gear is driven by a belt.2l passing over a grooved pulley 22 herein shown as fast on the inner side of said gear, and meshes with a gear 23 on a hub orv sleeve 24: which carries the propeller 6 and turns on the pipe shaft 5 for driving the propeller 6 at slow speed with relation to the rapid movement of the leveling tool 16. On the same hub orsleeve 24 is mounted a cleaner 25, herein shown as a thin or narrow bristle brush of relatively large diameter.

Viewing Figs. 2, 4 and 5, it will be seen that the bottom of the leveling block or too-l 16 is flat adjacent its forward portion, as indicated at 26, and is rounded at its front edge 27 and more gradually rounded or sloped at its rear edge 28, and is provided with a central spoon-shaped cavity 29 sloping upwardly and rearwardly for a considerable portion of the length of said bottom. By the use of this peculiarly shaped bottom the operator can level or distribute the filler almost instantly and exactly the way required by the special conditions of any given shoe bottom, it being remembered that the leveling block 16 is constantly agitated with a series of short, rapid jogs or reciprocations. This filler material is composed of ground cork whose granules are held together by a tough, sticky or rubber-like heap of filler material which has been dropped on the shoe bottom, to the flat portion 26 of the leveling tool 16, said heap of filler material will be instantly flattened down or leveled but left thick. If on the other hand he raises the toe end of the shoe so as to bring the heap of filler material into the spoon-like cavity 29 of said bottom, the rapid back-and-forth movement of the block, cotiperating with the shape of the cavity 29, will shift the filler material into direction desired, according to the angle at which the shoe is held and the direction in which it is moved by the operator. The block 16 is purposely made quite a little wider than any shoe cavity liable to be met with, the object being to insure that the lateral flat sides of the bottom shall always rest down upon the stitching ribs 30 of the innersole which constitute the bounding walls of the shoe bottom-cavity being filled. If therefore the operator has exercised the proper judgment in depositing within the shoe bottom-cavity approximately the right amount of filler material, there will be no grains thereof on the welt inasmuch as the flat side portions of the bottom of the leveling tool cooperate with the ribs or walls 30 of the shoe bottom to prevent any of the filler from'being shoved over onto the welt. T he gradual slope 28 of the bottom of the leveling tool is provided in order to permit the operator readily to tip up the shoe bottom by raising the toe end thereof, and the more abrupt curved edge 27 is provided in order to prevent any accidental scraping off or dislodging of the filler.

The operator stands facing the machine, and it will be understood that his rack of shoes to be filled stands at his right-hand adjacent the machine. I-le grasps a shoe top in his'right hand, holding the shoe bottom up, and as he presents it to the machine he rests the toe thereof in the hollow of his left hand and by a quick movement of the shoe bottom against the depending arm 13 he opens the filler outlet to just the extent required according to his experience and ability, turning the shoe to the right or left or tilting it as he may prefer, on the end of the arm 13 as a pivot or fulcrum, and having deposited the exact amount of filler required in the shoe bottom, he lowers the shoe sufficiently to disengage it from the arm 13 and shifts it instantly to the left into engagement with the rapidly jogging leveling bottom of the block or tool 16, where it is leveled, and then as he passes the filled shoe back to the rack he touches the welt to the brush 25 if necessary, wherever any filler may have accidentally lodged. This entire operation is accomplished in a few seconds, and as the parts are arranged side by side in the path of natural swinging movement of the body of the operator,- there is a minimum of fatigue. Preferably the propeller or paddle wheel 6 turns about forty' revolutions per minute, although this depends largely upon the size and construction of the wheel, and as this movement is steady and is in the presence of the filler which is extra heated at this point by the pipe 5, the filler is not only kept in continual agitation but in the best condition of fluidity at the very outlet point of the machine. When the slide or door opens, the

filler is accordingly ejected instantly, and when the slide or door is closed the material is simply rotated or agitated so as to be maintained in a properly loose condition. I prefer to have the shoe held in the hands of the operator rather than rested on a support, as thereby the operator will naturally more quickly tip, turn or otherwise adjust the shoe as he observes the dropping down of the quantity of the filler material within the shoe bottom in accordance with the size, shape or depth of said bottom. As the apparatus is purposely constructed to permit the operator to observe the work and the filler, he is enabled readily to select a chosen quantity at'his own discretion, and if he should find that a still further amount of filler is necessary to complete the filling, he can get said extra amount. with extreme quickness and facility. The construction of my machine enables him to get said extra amount, for instance, at the exact part of the shoe bottom where the deficiency is noticed and the filler is required. The special construction of the machine permits him to present the shoe sidewise or lengthwise below the slide and to get a large amount or a small amount of filler inasmuch as the control of the opening or filler outlet is entirely subject to his regulation for each shoe separately. Some manufacturers require a full bottom, others a fiat bottom, and others a rounded bottom, and accordingly I have provided means whereby there is absolutely nothing to hinder or prevent the operator from providing filler enough for whatever kind of bottom is desired, and the leveling tool provides convenient means for leveling the bottom to this exact shape, so required.

As the machine is in continuous operation there is no need of starting any particular motion when filling a shoe, and yet everything is under the immediate control and regulation of the operator. The operator has both hands free at all times for manipulating the shoe. Not only is there nothing to obstruct the view or interfere, with the entire freedom of the operator to drop the filler material into the most desired part of the shoe cavity, but the same is true of the leveling operation, and yet this is accomplished without requiring the operator to step either forward or backward (which movement is in itself quite taxing when kept up all day long). As an operator is required to fill several thousand shoes per day. I regard as of importance the provisions 0 my invention for eliminating the usual body movement and requiring only a slight lateral body movement. In leveling the shoe the tee is preferably held slightly elevated and the reciprocating tool first engages the ball of the sole and is then drawn quickly forward toward the operator with'such rocking and shifting movement with relation to the tool as may be required for placing or distributing the filler properly and at the same time ironing it down under the short vibrations of the hot tool. In moving the shoe forward the operator raises and lowers the heel of the shoe as required, to take advantage of the different bevels in the surface of the leveling tool. If desired, the operator may make two movements, the first forward contact with the leveling tool simply spreading the filler by means of the spoonlike cavity therein which serves to run the heap of filler in whatever direction may be required in accordance with the movement of the shoe by the operator, and the next foward movement, or if desired backward and then forward movement, of the shoe with relation to the tool serving to compact and level. the filler to a-finished condition. The engagement of the, wide sides of the bottom of the tool with the inseam or lip 30 prevents any grains of the fillerfrom escaping onto the welt. The receding bevel at the back edge of the leveling tools bottom greatly facilitates the speed with which the shoes can be filled, in connection with the rubbing action, and the fact that the latter consists of short and extremely rapid movements, insures the forcing of the filler into the'corners and seams of the cavity without liability of spreading it over or beyond the inseam. The flat bottom surface of the leveling tool cooperates with the lip or inseam 30 to form a closure for the shoe cavity when the shoe bottom is held in close contact with the leveling surface. Said fiat surface is not only flat widthwise but also lengthwise of the tool to a sufiicient extent to close in all the filler which at any given movement is being spread or subjected to spreading pressure, and so enable the operator to bring a rubbing vertical pressure simultaneously over a suflicient area of the filler to smooth the face of the filler mass more effectively than is possible with a roll, for instance.

' It will be understood that my invention is capable of a wide variety of embodiments within the spirit and scope'of the appended claims. 1

- Having described my invention, what I I claim as new and desire to secure by Letstructed to provide an unobstructed space di rectly downward, forward and sidewise from said outlet and also back a short distance below said outlet, capable of permitting an operator, standing in front of the outlet, to hold and manipulate a shoe in position below the outlet for the filler to fall in plain View from the outlet into the middle of the bottom cavity of the shoe, and means for instantly opening and instantly closing said outlet for delivering a variable but regulated quantity of the filler in accordance with the needs of the shoe.

2. A shoe bottom filling machine, comprising a filler receptacle having an outlet at its bottom whose opening is in full view of the operator when filling a shoe, and a paddle wheel. for stirring and moving the filler mounted in the bottom of said receptacle on a horizontal axis approximately par allel to-said out-let and to the front of the machine where the operator stands, and means to rotate said paddle wheel rear- .wardly in the direction to raise and loosen the filler at the extreme front of the receptacle and to deliver the filler beneath said wheel toward the operator, said machine having an unobstructed space directly downward, forward and sidewise from said outlet and also back a short distance below the outlet capable of permitting an operator, standin in front of the outlet, to hold and manipu ate a shoe in position below the outlet for the filler to fall from the outlet into the middle of the bottom cavity of the shoe, all in plain view, and means for instantly opening and instantly closing said outlet for delivering a variable but regu lated quantity of the filler in accordance with the needs of the shoe. t

3. A shoe bottom filling machine, compris- I ing a filler receptacle having an outlet at its bottom in view of and opening toward the operator when filling a shoe, means, includinga heating pipe, located in the bottom of said receptacle immediately at said outlet for facilitating the flow of the filler through said outlet toward the operator, and means rendered operative by the presentation of a. shoe in position to receive the filler for controlling the extent of the opening of the outlet and for closing said opening, said 1 machine being constructed to provide an unobstructed space immediately in front of and below saidoutlet capable of permitting the shoe to be freely moved upward and downward with reference to the opening while receiving the filler under the operators inspection. 1

4. A shoe bottom filling machine, comprising a filler, receptacle having an outletat its bottom, and means located in thebottom of said receptacle adjacent said outlet for facilitating the flow of the filler through said outlet, including a heatingpipe and a rotary propeller mounted on said pipe.

5. A shoe bottom filling machine, compris;

ing afiller receptacle having an outlet at its bottom in view of and opening toward the operator when filling a shoe, means within said receptacle and located at the outlet for maintaining the filler in a loosened, openedout, granular sluggishly fluid condition with a propulsive tendency to move quickly through the opening when the outlet is opened, and outlet-controlling means renupon the vertical distance raised and for closing the outlet by the lowering of the shoe directly downward from the outlet, said machine being constructed to provide a substantially unobstructed space directly downward, forward and sidewise from said outlet capable of permitting the shoe to have a vertical movement toward and from said opening and also a free forward and sidewise movement, all in the view of the operator while the filler is dropping into the shoe cavity.

6. A shoe bottom filling machine, comprising a stationary filler receptacle, having a bottom outlet adjacent the lower front edge of the receptacle arranged to permit the ejection of the filler material and to drop it into the shoe bottom cavity so as to fall in the view of the operator from the outlet to the shoe, and a closure for said outlet provided with operating means actuated by the presentation of the shoe to the machine and constituting also means for maintaining the shoe at a distance below said outlet sufficient to permit the filler to drop in a heap in the bottom cavity of the shoe while the latter is held by the operator at a substantial distance below the out-let and thus positioned by said operating means.

7 A shoe bottom filling machine, comprising a stationary filler receptacle having an unobstructed outlet in its front side adjacent the bottom, opening directly toward and in full view of the operator, for ejecting the filler material forward from the machine toward the operator, and a closing device for said outlet provided with actuating means depending below the outlet in position to be operatively engaged by the shoe at a substantial distance from said outlet and raised when the shoe is moved upwardly to filling position.

8. A shoe bottom filling machine, comprising a stationary filler receptacle having an adjustable outlet for the delivery of filler to the shoe, and positioning means for engaging the shoe bottom, including means for holding the shoe at a substantial distance from the outlet when the latter is opened and arranged to permit the shoe to be shi fled and tipped thereagainst to various positions. Y like distributing hollow for distributing the said machine being constructed to provide 1 tiller 1n the shoe cavity.

an unobstructed space laterally in all directions from and about the said engaging portion of the positioning means sutlicient to permit the shoe to be raised and lowered and moved backward, forward and laterally and to have said shifting and tipping movement, all in full view of the operator.

9. A shoe bottom filling machine, comprising a filler receptacle having means at its front end under the control of the operator for delivering filler in view of the operator into the shoe when the operator stands at the front of the machine, and a leveling device at one side of the machine substantially in longitudinal alinement with andlaterally of said delivering means to permit the operator to shift the shoe from the filler-receiving position to leveling position simply by a lateral swinging movement of his arms.

10. A shoe bottom filling machine, comprising a stationary filler receptacle having means at its front under the control of the operator for permitting filler to drop from the machine in view of the operator in a heap into the shoe, a leveling device at one side of the machine substantially in longitudinal alinement with and laterally of said delivering means, and means for cleaning the welt of surplus filler, located in the same longitudinal line with said delivering means and leveling device at one side of the machine.

11. A shoe bottom filling machine, comprising a stationary filler receptacle having means at its front under the control of the o erator for permitting filler to drop from t e machine in view of the operator in a heap into the shoe, a leveling device at one side of the machine substantially in longitudinal alincment with and laterally of said delivering means, and means for cleaning the welt of surplus filler, located in the same longitudinal line with said delivering means and leveling device and between them.

12. In a shoe bottom filling machine, means for delivering filler material to a shoe bottom, including a valve controlled outlet and a slow-motion filler ejector, combined with a rapidly reciprocated leveling tool for leveling the filler so delivered.

13. In a shoe bottom filling machine, a heating device capable of supporting a leveling tool, a leveling tool pivotally mounted on said heating device, said tool having a smoothing bottom substantially fiat endwise and widthwise, and means for providing said bottom with a short, rapid, reciprocating movement.

14. In a shoe bottom filling machine, a heating device adapted to support a leveling tool, a leveling tool pivotally mounted on said heating device, said tool having a smoothing bottom provided with a spoon- 15. In a shoe bottom filling machine, a leveling tool having a relatively flat bottom provided with a spoon-like distributing hollow.

16. In a shoe bottom filling machine, a leveling tool having a relatively flat bottom provided with a spoon-like distributing hollow, and means for rapidly reciprocating said tool.

17. The combination with a bottom filling machine provided with a receptacle for the filler and filler delivering mechanism adapted to deposit the filler in a heap approximately in the middle of the shoe bottom cavity, of apivoted leveling tool having a relat1vely flat smoothing bottom, and actuating means for rapidly reciprocating said bottom flatwise over said heapof filler to smooth and press down the latter level in the shoe bot-tom when said heaped shoe bottom is held in position to be leveled.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing v witnesses.

ANDREW THOMA.

Witnesses:

M. J. SPALDING, EDWARD MAXWELL. 

